A Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter with lady parts brings a collection of tracks that is Liz Phair with more cute than cool. She has that minimalism that keeps her largely a solitary figure on this record. But instead of Liz's rode-hard-put-away-wet sense of whatever, Katie has a more wallflower nervous excitement. Even if she keeps it close to the vest.
On other tracks like "Blue Pt. II" or "Brother Bryan" would be completely lackadaisical- because their just either a descending chord progression or a slow bass riff. But Katie manages to see this simplicity and add a dumb little quirk of a secondary vocal track or a doo-wop backbeat.
She has enough acoustic weepy dirges to play next to Corey Flood at the Say Anything... party. See "Hollow Bedroom" and "Tangled Envisioning" and the excellent "You're Damaged". But she also has a sunny Yeah Yeah Yeah rocker in "Coast to Coast" and my favorite, "Misery Over Dispute"- which proves that Katie has spent enough time in front a White Stripes record.
You can tell her instinct right now is to play alone and quiet. But she amps it up to maybe Veruca Salt levels on half the record. She never crosses the Sleater-Kinney line, which is where I would like to see her go. I hear a restrained ferocity under here somewhere. (3 of 5 stars)
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